More Prime Cattle Required at Skipton

Craven Cattle Marts at their auction mart premises in
Skipton are using the opening of the new Keelham Farm Shop on nearby Gargrave
Road and the presence of Stanforths Butchers on site as an opportunity to invite
all retail butchers and cattle feeders to attend the weekly Monday sale of
prime cattle.

Keelham is looking to source 25 cattle a week from local farms
for both its new Skipton shop and its established outlet at Thornton,
on the outskirts of Bradford, while Stanforths
Butchers requires
cattle each week for careful maturation and sale both through their
Skipton shop and into the local restaurant trade.

Keelham Farm Shop in Skipton

Saltaire
butcher Dick Binns is another regular attendee at the
ringside, securing high quality handy-weight heifers, alongside,
in recent months, Charlie Clough Butchers in Queensbury, catering
meats supplier Swaledale
Foods in Skipton, Edwards Butchers, of
Padiham, D&A Gregory Butchers in Bacup, Keighley butcher Paul
Leadbeater, and Anthony Kitson, who has butchers’ shops in Northallerton
and Yarm, to name a few.

In addition, J&E Medcalf wholesale
butchers in Halifax additionally buy a range of commercial cattle
and retail animals for sale into butchers’ shops in Calderdale
and beyond.

Craven Cattle Marts general
manager Jeremy
Eaton said:
“In recent months, the trade for prime
cattle has come under pressure and farmers who traditionally invest
heavily in the spring in finishing cattle to fill yards have once
again questioned the profitability of the system. With store cattle
costs at a premium because of the relative national scarcity, making
the most of high quality prime cattle is very important.

“Looking
at the Keelham model and consumer demand for a product connected
to the region - and in some cases to specific farms - the opportunity
exists at retail level to bring the farm or farmer to the shop
to assist in conveying this message.”

Mr Eaton pointed out that
the large processors and retailers obviously require large volumes
of consistent cattle in specification and the region is fortunate
in having a good concentration of these important customers in
the area, who provide the demand that supports the mart’s prolific
store cattle and feeding bull sales.

He noted:
“However, we do see
that placing premium and certain types of other cattle to advantage
is sometimes difficult. The Keelham opening and the now direct
connection between stock bought in the mart and it moving off the
shelves in customers’ shopping baskets is a timely reminder of
the competition that exists around livestock mart rings and how
feeders can help promote the product they sell with their customer.

“We are within striking distance of major conurbations supporting
a range of retail and farm shops, major processors and a number
of independent abattoirs. The demand for quality, local, regional
or breed-specific meat has developed over the last few years, but
it would seem that the momentum has picked up pace of late and
finishers should be aware that they once again could be a part
of this.”

Keelham Farm Shop’s James
Robertshaw commented:
“Our family-run
business has its roots in the butchery trade and we’re extremely
proud of this heritage. We’ve sourced meat from Skipton auction
mart for more than forty years and we remain fully committed to
buying the best quality meat available from leading local farmers.”

Simon
Barker, director of CCM
Quality Foods, which is run by Stanforths
Butchers, said:
“We are always on the lookout for first-rate prime
cattle, not only for our own shop In Skipton, but also our catering
arm, which supplies local pubs and restaurants in Skipton and the
Dales. We much prefer to source these through our local mart.”

Skipton’s
weekly prime cattle sale is held every Monday immediately after
the cast cattle sale and is operated as a ‘green market.’

Mr Eaton
added:
“Because cattle finishers in the locality are rare, in the
past particular focus has been given to the monthly primestock
shows, which are well supported. However, the demand exists for
cattle every week and an invitation is extended to all cattle finishers
and retail butchers.”